Rumormill: Volkswagen GTI-R with AWD coming to Frankfurt
by Damon Lavrinc on Mar 12th 2009 at 2:29PM 
2009 Volkswagen GTI - Click above for a high-res gallery
The rumored Volkswagen Scirocco R20T never made an appearance at the Geneva Motor Show, but according to CAR, V-Dub has something else up its sleeve for this year's Frankfurt Motor Show. The Brit pub is reporting the imminent arrival of the Volkswagen Golf GTI-R, a hotter version of VW's iconic hatch with a more powerful variant of the turbocharged 2.0-liter motivating all four wheels.
The turbo'd four-pot is related to the Audi S3's mill, so expect output to be up and over 260 hp. And, according to the report, a major element of the GTI-R is weight reduction, so VW has opted to use the 2.0-liter turbo in favor of its 3.2-liter V6. The supposed weight-loss regime might come in the form of lighter structural and body components, along with a less luxurious interior that won't infringe on the premium confines of the R32 and Scirocco. Then again, with the additional weight of the AWD system – versus the Focus RS and Renaultsport Megane 250, which both use a trick front differential to limit torque steer – the overall weight could be a wash over the standard GTI. CAR says the GTI-R should debut in Frankfurt this fall, with sales beginning in late 2009 or early 2010.
Gallery: 2009 Volkswagen GTI MK VI
[Source: CAR]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Carlos 2:35PM (3/12/2009)
I'd rather have this then the R32, that car is very slow for the money.
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FSM 2:40PM (3/12/2009)
Agreed. I will be holding out for this and assuming it comes in somewhere around $27-29k and has an interior as nice as the current GTI... I may well bite.
hoosker_doo 3:05PM (3/12/2009)
I'm right there w/ you. I really like the MkV GTI and the R32 but I agree w/ Carlos on how the R32 is too slow for the price tag. I love the sound of that 3.2 V6 though.
Nick 3:53PM (3/12/2009)
Then again, you could get a 2004 R32 which is basically the same car, except different body style and lighter, for roughly $17000...I've been looking at these alot lately if you couldn't tell. :)
Mike 4:01PM (3/12/2009)
Price of this will not even be close to under $30k. You'll be seeing it around $38-45k with the S3 2.0t in it. Sorry kids, but when you start running the Audi S lineup power plants you don't get the budget deals of a $24k GTi.
zamafir 4:24PM (3/12/2009)
Mike's wrong, you guys are right.
It'll start between 30k and 35k with the same sorts of options we've seen on the MkIV and MkV R32. Just as VAG took the (then) top spec MkI and MkII TT bits and dropped them into the MkIV and MkV R32, so too will VAG continue the same, obvious trend and drop the TT-S's powerplant and awd into the MkVI for the - shocker - same relative price range as the previous two R32s.
This of course means you'll be able to pick one up for 27k just as you could a year after the MkIV came out and just as you can now with the MkV. Nothing different here, it's the exact same formula we've seen for two generations, and the exact same price points.
Chase 5:05PM (3/12/2009)
I'll take the FWD Scirocco, please. :D
superman211 5:00PM (3/12/2009)
Hell no! I hope not! You can get a 135i for less than that. Quite bit faster too, and not just a VW ether.
blotto 7:30PM (3/12/2009)
Jeez, if this car costs over 30 large, I doubt there would be many takers. There are so many other options for sporty cars when you cross that pricepoint.
If VW brought this to the US, they need to price it below the WRX and the Lancer Ralliart.
Randy915 7:35PM (3/12/2009)
Here's my Photoshop rendition of what the R20 / GTI-R might look like...
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4286715
PJ 11:31PM (3/12/2009)
I vaguely remember reading that VW will offer a proper 6-speed manual, in addition to the flappy-paddle DSG, on the GTI-R. Any word on whether this still stands? The only things keeping the current R32 off my wish list are the empty spaces where my left foot and right fist ought to be.
zamafir 2:37PM (3/12/2009)
"The Brit pub is reporting the imminent arrival of the Volkswagen Golf GTI-R, a hotter version of VW's iconic hatch with a more powerful variant of the turbocharged 2.0-liter motivating all four wheels."
... Duh.
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rsteck 3:01PM (3/12/2009)
Call me obsessive, but I check autoblog daily waiting for more news on this car. VW if you are listening, please bring this to the US.
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Sea Urchin 3:02PM (3/12/2009)
Coming to Frankfurt? Look unless it says coming to New York, or LA or Detroit or America, i am not interested.
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Mazda FTW! 3:03PM (3/12/2009)
Good to see an interior that isin't all kinds of Starship Enterprise inside.
It's clean, traditional yet has some modern touches.
If I wan't so in love with the Mazdaspeed3, the GTI would be my car :)
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zamafir 4:28PM (3/12/2009)
Yup, VW upgraded the chassis, engine, etc etc with the MkV and the interior with the MkVI platform. Though, while the MS3 is just as fast as the current MkV R32 on the track, it won't be as quick as this car (given the weight savings and power bump). It's a smart move for VW, allowing them to sell the GTI-R for 30k again, while actually being faster than cars like the MS3 at 5k cheaper (vs now where the R32 isn't).
hoosker_doo 3:07PM (3/12/2009)
Same, I check the MkVI section of vwvortex as well.
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chconline 3:18PM (3/12/2009)
Nissan called, wants its GTI-R moniker back.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_Pulsar_GTI-R)
:P
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Xa 3:19PM (3/12/2009)
Vw. Using old nissan naming schemes since 2002.
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Edmond Dantes 3:26PM (3/12/2009)
Who cares?
Better than changing it all the time!